News and Blog

On Water

pochedley@gmail.com (Administrator) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 04:29:12 +0000

February 7, 2012

David Robinson (Engeye Scholars Fellow)

I returned to Ddegeya a week ago today and, although there is much I want to write about – part of my role here is to share updates of the work I'm doing for the Engeye Scholars program – tonight the only thing on my mind is water, and I cannot sleep. We ran out of it this morning. Or, more specifically and perhaps less dramatically, our rain collection tanks ran dry. Now, and until the next rains come (and we're just halfway through the historical dry season), we must head down the hill to fetch water at the bore hole or pond. Please understand that this is not our drinking water (we purchase 5-gallon canisters of drinking water in Masaka) but the water with which we are to cook and bathe, the water needed for everything from washing hands after using the latrine or seeing patients to water boiled for a cup of tea. Suddenly these things, and all activities and “necessities” in between, require work and planning. In this, the clinic is suddenly no different than the dozens of families in Ddegeya, who begin each day down at the well, pumping water into five gallon jerry cans to lug back to their homes. I watch children, probably age six and up, men and women haul water all day – balanced on heads, strapped four-deep to bikes, or grasped in each palm. (I witness this scene most often as I sit on the bunkhouse porch, sipping my morning coffee, made from water from our rain collection tanks that Prossey, our cook, has boiled.)

Five days ago, when water seemed plentiful and I was still sleepwalking through the latter stages of jet lag, I was reminded sharply of how precious water is here. Or anywhere. I'd stopped to wash my hands at the smaller of the two catchment tanks, where I twirled the handle thoughtlessly so as to provide a good and respectable flow. Richard, a local who currently works with Engeye, stood quietly beside me while I washed all the red dirt from my hands. When it was his turn to wash, I noticed that he opened the spigot just enough to allow a thin thread of water to stream into his hands. At first I thought the scene was a bit ridiculous or that he didn't understand and then I was slapped by understanding. In that moment I was reminded that I must pay attention to my use – and misuse – of water. Embarrassment aside, it was a good and early lesson, and one I cannot forget. Not now, after today's two trips to the well with Mbaziira Edie to fetch water for the clinic compound.

Standing in line with the half dozen or so kids and teens waiting to fill their cans, I realized how little I think about water even now after three previous trips to this area. Every single day, from the beginning until today and into tomorrow, these kids, their parents and grandparents, what they know about water is that it is precious and it is hard work. Though I've never heard complaint -- far from it: rural Ugandans are not prone to complaining. (I hear that there's even something like a "teen hour" at the pump around dusk, when teens gather and do as teens the world over do, give or take a gadget or three.) The clinic is fortunate to have two tanks that catch rainwater from the guttered tin roof of the laboratory building. It is a grand luxury, one paid for by donors and visiting doctors and volunteers. But it is not enough. As the clinic continues to grow and to expand its services, and as more volunteers and staff move into the bunkhouse, the demand for water increases exponentially. In two weeks a medical mission from Providence Health in Portland will arrive, increasing our numbers by seven. We will then need to hire a villager to fetch our water (and lots of it) for clinic and staff use.
I can't say that I dislike my trips to the well, although I imagine it will get old. And water is heavy. A better plan is in the works, however. This year's Minerva Fellows from Union College in Schenectady, New York, Mark O'Shea and Brendan Kinnane, have proposed to increase our rain collection system by 50,000 liters and to gutter the main clinic buildings and bunkhouses. I encourage you to read about their water project at http://engeye.org/aboutus/history/95-engeyewater.html and to share it with those whom you feel would be interested. I want to be clear: this is no Sally Struthers infomercial, asking you or anyone to cry or to feel guilty or to give to the neglected children of Africa. No one needs or wants that; not them, especially, and not us. (And the kids I know here are far from neglected!) But I think it's interesting and informative, a useful assessment of how we live on this planet and what we can do. If you know of someone who would like to help make this happen, send me a message. And I know that we will do this, that the water project will receive the funds it needs to move forward. It will be another grand and simple step in the continued growth of the Engeye, Inc and in the services it provides to the local community.

Images courtesy of David Robinson.

Saving Noeline

pochedley@gmail.com (Administrator) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 04:26:36 +0000

January 24, 2012

Update (February 1, 2012): Thank you everyone for helping us reach our goal. Noeline is beginning chemotherapy thanks to your generous support. We reduced our ChipIn goal, because some donors elected to donate via check, but we did reach $3,000. We will keep you updated on Noeline's progress. Thank you so much for helping Noeline fight cancer.

Occasionally in life, especially when advocating for a fellow human being, we must go to the extreme. In such cases, as medical practitioners, we often wonder if we are too entrenched or intertwined in our patients’ suffering and health. The lines become blurred. Where does the patient-provider relationship end? Where does the boundary lie in our intervention with the well-being of others? Defining the limits for when to ‘hold on’ and when to ‘let go’ can be a challenge. Noeline, a shy, barefoot, soft-spoken eight-year-old girl, entered our lives last year, and has pushed us to this edge.

As many of you know, Noeline came to the Engeye Health Clinic on July 12, 2011, feverish and clearly ill. We came to understand that over the preceding several months she had been developing a large, fungating growth that protruded from her vagina. Based on a subsequent biopsy, it was determined to be rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue tumor, growing from her vaginal wall. By the time she reached us, the mass was painful, pushing on her other organs, and it was infected. Simply put, eight-year old Noeline had cancer, in the worst possible way.

But thanks to your generous donations, we were able to raise the necessary $2,000 USD, allowing Noeline to receive chemotherapy critical to treating her tumor.

After six rounds of chemotherapy and months of emotional and physical exhaustion, we thought we had Noeline’s cancer beat. Her mass had shrunk significantly and for the first time in years, she had the energy to consider school, to haul water from the well like other little girls her age, and to laugh and smile – in short, she was able to live the life of a healthy little girl.

But last week, Noeline returned to Engeye Clinic fatigued. Her nasty mass has returned . . . and it is enlarging. A CT scan confirmed that her tumor has returned.

If future care were utterly futile, we would offer our condolences with lumps in our throats, and advocate for comfort care during her final days. But a final, second round of dual chemotherapy with immediate subsequent surgical resection is not a pipedream. In fact, this is often how this particular cancer is treated in the U.S.

We want to offer Noeline one last shot at life. If we do nothing, she will undoubtedly die. On the other hand, with this second treatment attempt, there is a chance that she will live a long, productive life. But we need your help. No doubt this will be another uphill battle, but it is one worth fighting. If Noeline were one of our daughters, nieces, cousins or next door neighbors, we would not give up. Especially for only $3,000 USD.

Putting in such an effort to save just one life doesn’t always make sense. The rational mind would suggest that Noeline’s care is “ill-advised”, that such funds “would be far better spent in any number of ways that would benefit so many more people.” This may be true.

We are ever conscious of the need to focus on the majority of the population; public health efforts geared toward basic vaccinations, primary care and clean water, and therefore, this is exactly where our principal efforts are currently centered. But sometimes we become intertwined in one patient’s care as we are working on the larger goals, and it doesn’t feel right to give up on that individual. To us, it doesn’t feel right to give up on Noeline. We must realize the sea of need and focus our efforts there, but we cannot forget that the sea is comprised of individual drops of water.

Please help The Engeye Team raise $3,000 USD as soon as possible to help secure emergency treatment for Noeline. Her Ugandan oncologists and surgeons are on board and she and her mother are currently in Kampala awaiting her final attempt at life-saving treatment. This is a very time-sensitive plea and we need to act swiftly. If treatment does not work, we will utilize any remaining funds to ensure that Noeline's final days are comfortable. To donate, please use the ChipIn button above. You may also send a check to Engeye, Inc, 1500 SW 11th Avenue, Suite 2304, Portland, OR 97201, marked for Noeline's treatment. We also welcome any phone calls to further discuss Noeline's treatment course. E-mail info@engeye.org to set up a phone call meeting.

Thank you for stepping forward and giving Noeline another chance for life.

We realize this is an outlying project that does not follow our regular allocation of funds, which generally benefit large groups of people and the clinic as a whole. Because this is a unique project, in that it only benefits one person, similar to the Save Susan project, we do not feel it is ethical to use general donor or general clinic funds. The Save Noeline project will only use funds that are specifically earmarked for Noeline's care.

(Updated January 26, 2011)

Engeye Water Project

pochedley@gmail.com (Administrator) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 04:09:02 +0000

January 7, 2012

UPDATE (February 3, 2012): The water project reached its initial goal of $5,500! This will help build the initial infrastructure, but your contributions are still needed for plumbing, drainage, and other infrastructure costs. Thank you everyone who made this project possible! To contribute to this important project, follow the link below.

Minerva Fellows Brendan Kinnane and Mark O'Shea are embarking on a project to help address water needs at the clinic and around the community. The pair has carefully worked with peer health clinics, engineers from Uganda and the United States, the Engeye Board of Directors, and the clinic staff to come up with a plan to help update Engeye's water infrastructure. Now we need your help to make all of their hard work become a reality (click below to donate)!

Ddegeya Village, like almost all villages in rural Uganda, operates without the basic resource of running water. Yet everyone – men and women, young and old, Muslims, Christians, the rich, and the poor – shares a common reliance on water, each and every day. The Engeye Health Clinic is no exception. The clinic and its residents and staff currently draw from two plastic cisterns that store domestically collected rainwater for cooking, bathing, cleaning, etc. – the vitals of daily life and operation. Although the current tanks help supply the clinic, they struggle to meet the demands of water usage throughout the year. During the height of the dry seasons, staff members must fetch water from the local borehole or the clinic must pay for such a service. For this initial reason, the call for a larger tank that could provide water for all present and future needs was heard.

The call for a greater and more sophisticated water supply was echoed loudly as future needs and goals for the clinic were considered. Aspirations to board patients, perform surgery, offer dental care, and build a maternity ward (for deliveries and emergency caesarean sections) all depend on a reliable source of running water. By introducing running water to Engeye Health Clinic, such never-before-offered medical services can be provided to the people in this region. Thus, the Engeye Water Project took form, its aim being to benefit both the health clinic and thousands of patients it serves annually by providing an abundant supply of clean, running water.

The project includes the following components: a rainwater harvesting system, a 50,000 liter belowground water tank, a foot pump and a gravity pressure plumbing system. The tank design and project logistics have been reviewed and approved by several sources and professionals, including the Engineers Without Borders team from MIT and an experienced local builder-engineer (who built the nearly identical system after which the Engeye Water Project is modeled). A 2012 fundraising effort has been launched to make the water project a reality this spring. The goal is to raise $3500 in the next month and half and begin construction by the end of February ($2,000 has already been contributed by private donors). Please help us to reach this goal and to bring running water to Engeye Health Clinic and the broader community it serves by donating below.

Thank you again for your time and support!

Donate directly to the water project via credit card, e-check, or PayPal account!

Happy Holidays from Engeye

pochedley@gmail.com (Administrator) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 01:36:24 +0000

December 18, 2011

Happy Holidays from Engeye!

It is incredible how fast this year has gone and how much Engeye has accomplished. In the past few months Engeye has:

This year, we have seen more than 12,000 patients at just $3.60 per patient - this makes health care affordable and accessible to a region that never had access to quality health care before
Installed an electronic medical records system
Increased the capacity of our laboratory
United with Kinoni's Health Office to begin providing vaccinations at Engeye Clinic (thanks to MIT EWB for making this possible by updating the clinic's photovoltaic system)
Continued a partnership with Uganda Cares to provide HIV testing and counseling to patients in and around Ddegeya
Engeye Scholars is now supporting 22 students
Union College has sent us a pair of Minerva Fellows for the fourth consecutive year
Three medical missions saw over one thousand patients
MIT Engineers Without Borders helped us expand our photovoltaic capacity and is investigating improving water resources in the village
Helped a 12 year old girl, Noeline, receive cancer treatment at Mulago Cancer Institute
Welcomed Joe Freeman, PharmD, and Dr. Kathy Chang Freeman as our resident pharmacist and physician

Every bit makes a difference and there are many ways you can help!

Consider making a monthly donation to Engeye this holiday season. Monthly donations support our long-term costs so that we can continue to improve and expand Engeye's core services.
A one-time donation can make a great gift for friends and family, too!
Do your holiday shopping through GoodShop. Just type Engeye and use GoodSearch for your holiday shopping - this saves you money and results in donations to Engeye Health.

Happy Holidays and thanks for thinking of us this holiday season!

Clinic Manager John Kalule Visits the US

pochedley@gmail.com (Administrator) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:23:50 +0000

December 1, 2011

The month of November was an exciting one for the Engeye Scholars Program. We were thrilled to welcome Engeye Health Clinic Co-founder and Manager, Mr. John Kalule, for a two week visit to New York. John’s schedule was packed with meetings, lectures, events and presentations. This visit allowed John and Engeye to strengthen existing collaborations with current partners such as Union College and Albany Medical College, while developing new relationships with several additional organizations. John was also welcomed as the guest speaker at the 18th Annual Alice E. Fruehan Lecture at Albany Medical College where he and a physician panel spoke about “Sustaining Global Healthcare Through Community Collaborations: Experiences at Engeye Health Clinic, Uganda.” His two week visit ended with a Craft Fair in support of the Scholars educational programs and a cocktail party fundraiser where current donors had the opportunity to personally meet John, ask questions, and learn more about the program. It was a very successful two weeks and we are excited to begin work on many of the ideas developed during his visit.

Construction Update

pochedley@gmail.com (Administrator) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:02:39 +0000

Over the past three months, an impressive amount of construction has taken place at Engeye Health Clinic. Construction of the first staff house began at the end of July. The local building crew got to work digging and pouring the foundation. Brick by brick, the walls flew up and the first of a series of staff housing began to take form. After the solid cement beam atop all the walls was poured, the builders’ attention was turned to the roof. Eucalyptus beams were used to erect the frame of the roof. Iron sheets were then fastened to the frame, covering the entire structure. The floor, plastering, windows and doors remain unfinished but the house already looks fantastic. Finishing touches are expected to wrap up in the coming month or two.

Just a stone throw away, another house is shooting up. Dr. Joe Freeman and Dr. Kathy Chang arrived several weeks ago and began construction of their home immediately. Again, the hard working crew toil at a notable pace. After just a couple weeks, the foundation, walls, and beam are done and almost ready for the roof. Joe and Kathy hope to move into their new abode as soon as next month. They will be working with Engeye and staying in Ddegeya for roughly eighteen months. Upon leaving, they have generously agreed to leave their home for Engeye to use as a second staff house. With the completion of both these homes expected to occur in the coming month or two, Engeye Health Clinic is making great strides in terms of construction, expansion and efforts toward staff retention.

The same industrial and jovial team, mostly comprised of local villagers, is constructing both buildings. John Kalule ensured employment of both local and highly skilled workers. Under his attentive supervision, logistics have gone smoothly and progress has moved forward expediently. Thanks to John, Joe & Kathy, Engeye supporters, and the Ddegeya builders, two new beautiful homes will be ready for use by the end of the year.

EWB-MIT Water Team Lays Valuable Groundwork

pochedley@gmail.com (Administrator) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 07:05:59 +0000

The EWB-MIT water team spent three weeks in Ddegeya Village this past month (August) conducting research for their water project objectives. The team consisted of four MIT students, two Makerere students, and one in-field supervisor. The crew built the foundations of two partially belowground tanks for the purpose of testing and comparing each design. The tanks are intended to draw natural structural support from the ground while also minimizing material costs.

The group also met with the Ddegeya Water Board to identify homes most eligible for the household rainwater harvesting systems. In order to maximize the tank beneficiaries the water team sought out clusters of homes most likely to share ownership and enjoyment of the resource. Priority was also given to those homes furthest from the local boreholes.

The final recipients were selected accordingly. The structural integrity of the two tank foundations will be monitored over the coming months to determine which design will be chosen and implemented by next years EWB-MIT water team. With the groundwork diligently laid by this year’s team, Engeye and Ddegeya eagerly await next year’s construction.

Thank you EWB-MIT water team for the excellent work!

Saving Noeline

stephaniejvandyke1@gmail.com (Stephanie Van Dyke) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 03:10:01 +0000

On July 12th, Engeye Health Clinic treated Noeline, a 7-year old girl from one of the many small villages served by Engeye in southern Uganda. Shy, feverish, and clearly ill upon her arrival, it turns out that Noeline has an extremely serious and life-threatening condition which requires urgent medical care that extends beyond our capabilities at the clinic. Nonetheless, we at Engeye are committed to helping her receive this life-saving care as soon as possible, and we need your help to do so.

Like other rural Ugandans, Noeline lives a simple life, helps fetch water for her family, assists with farming and, when funds are available, attends the local primary school. In February, however, she began to develop an unusual tissue growth protruding from her vagina. Over time Noline's condition worsened as she experienced increasing discomfort, so her mother took her to the nearby health center where a biopsy was performed. The biopsy revealed that Noeline has rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue sarcoma, in her vaginal wall. Simply put, 7-year old Noeline has cancer.

Although Noeline’s father was discouraged upon hearing this diagnosis and gave up hope for treatment, her mother was determined to seek further assistance, particularly because Noeline’s condition was intensifying, becoming more uncomfortable, resulting in chronic infection.

Last week, Noeline presented to Engeye Health Clinic. By then the mass was so infected that it was clear that urgent care was needed. Although the Engeye staff dispensed antibiotics to treat her secondary condition, the infection, there was nothing more they could do to help with Noeline's primary condition, her cancer. Her urgent condition requires treatment beyond Engeye’s capabilities.

In order to help save the life of this young girl, we would like to transport Noeline and her mother to the Mulago Cancer Institute in Kampala. There she will receive the life-saving chemotherapy she needs and surgeons can then remove the tumor. Many children with conditions similar to Noeline’s have received a very good prognosis after such treatment. However, unlike hospitals in the U.S., the patient must pay for their medications at the time of service and for their own food and lodging. This is not a possibility for Noeline’s family.

That’s where you and others come in. We estimate that the total funds needed for her care will be $2,000 USD. If you are in a position to help with this mission, please click on the ChipIn link to make a contribution to this project via credit card or PayPal. Or you may make an online donation at Chip In or by mailing a check to Engeye Inc, 1500 SW 11^th Avenue, Suite 2304, Portland, OR 97201. Please mark your donation for Noeline’s Treatment. And, if you know of others who may be able to help, please share this link and information with them.

We have mobilized to get the word out quickly on this project. Noeline’s records indicate that the tumor has been infected previously and that the infection spread to the blood. This could happen again, and it can be fatal if not treated immediately. Addressing Noeline’s care is very time sensitive. We appreciate any assistance you are able to provide in helping Noeline. If you have questions, please contact us here or at info@engeye.org

Please note: Because Noeline’s care involves food, lodging and transportation, we are fundraising separately for her care and not using general clinic funds. We will monitor Noeline’s condition weekly, checking in with her and her mother, and we will provide current updates here and on our website. In the event that funds raised exceed what is needed for Noeline’s care, such funds will be directed to the Engeye Health Clinic general purposes fund. Thank you for your support and concern!

Engeye Teen Connection (ETC) launches new education initiative Bucks for Books and Greg Hickey joins ETC Board of Directors

pochedley@gmail.com (Administrator) — Thu, 19 May 2011 07:00:45 +0000

Engeye Teen Connection (ETC) is made up of committed teenagers who want to make a difference in the lives of children in rural Uganda. ETC is proud to announce that Greg Hickey will be joining the Board of Directors and will be assisting with the new education program, ETC Bucks for Books. Greg, a Sophomore at Shaker High School, will join his brother Brian Hickey, Sara Weinman and Adriana King on the ETC Board of Directors. Together, these teens and their advisors are working to help raise awareness and advocate for the villagers of Ddegeya, many of whom live on just a dollar a day.

ETC Bucks for Books campaign was recently launched by the Board of ETC in an effort to provide basic textbooks and school supplies for schools in rural Uganda. The program was inspired by 16 year old Sara Weinman’s recent visit to Ddegeya village. Sara was able to witness firsthand the desperate need at the local schools near the Engeye Health Clinic. The teachers at these schools are trying to educate their students without textbooks and the most basic school supplies. ETC believes that Education provides promise and hope for the children and the families of the village. To respond to this need, ETC board members Sara Weinman, Brian Hickey and Greg Hickey have launched a fundraising effort to provide textbooks for the students at these rural schools. 100% of the donations received will go toward the purchase of textbooks and school supplies for these students. Brian Hickey, 17, will be traveling to Uganda this summer to deliver the textbooks and school supplies to the needy schools. Donors will be able to see pictures of the delivery of the books and supplies on the Bucks for Books website. New board member, Greg Hickey, is also planning on traveling to Uganda in 2012 to deliver additional textbooks. Donors are asked to visit http://www.etcbucksforbooks.org/ or the Bucks for Books Facebook page to find out how they can support this valuable program. ETC hopes teens from across the United States will work together to help them meet their campaign goal. Schools, churches, synagogues, youth groups, and families can work together to provide the tools necessary to offer hope to the many children of Ddegeya who go without the promise of an education. All donations can make a difference. While a $25 donation can purchase 2 textbooks and supplies, a donation of $500 can sponsor an entire classroom.

ETC is a proud partner of Engeye Scholars http://engeyescholars.org/ and the Engeye Health Clinic.

Runaway Population Growth

Sat, 07 May 2011 15:24:40 +0000

May 6, 2011

According to a new report from the Population Reference Bureau (PRB), a Washington, D.C.-based research and advocacy group, within the next few decades Uganda is likely to have the highest population growth in the world. This continued population explosion "will entrap the country in poverty and instability." Realizing that health, education, the environment and so many other variables are intricately related to the runaway population growth, Engeye has started to take action.

The first step toward any solution is better understanding the problem. In an effort to recognize the variables related to the lack of commitment to family planning and reasons behind Ugandan women having an average of 6.9 children, volunteer Hilary Ross and translator Diana Namugenyi spent the past month collecting over 400 surveys, including men, women, and people of all ages. We are now compiling the fascinating results and working toward solutions.